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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mine — for digging
  3. current — happening now
  4. ground — the earth
  5. current — electric
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. tube — a container
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. wind — moving air
  10. staff — employees
  11. ground — crushed
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. tube — the underground
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. wind — moving air
  19. staff — a stick
  20. current — of water
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. saw — the tool
  23. ground — a position
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com